Weltman v. Silna

739 F. Supp. 477, 1990 WL 78121
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Missouri
DecidedMay 25, 1990
DocketNo. 87-0091C (A)
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 739 F. Supp. 477 (Weltman v. Silna) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Missouri primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Weltman v. Silna, 739 F. Supp. 477, 1990 WL 78121 (E.D. Mo. 1990).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION

HARPER, District Judge.

This case concerns a dispute arising out of a limited partnership agreement. Plaintiff, Harry Weltman (hereinafter Weltman), filed suit for damages resulting from an alleged breach of a limited partnership agreement and an accounting of the funds owing under the agreement. The documents in question are comprised of a Certificate of Limited Partnership of Spirits of St. Louis Basketball Club, L.P., dated October 14, 1974 (hereinafter the partnership agreement); and a Certificate of Amendment filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on April 15, 1975 (hereinafter the amendment). The facts giving rise to this dispute are as follows:

In 1973, Weltman was contacted by defendant, Donald Schupak (hereinafter Schu-pak). Schupak asked Weltman to locate a sports franchise for Schupak and two of his clients. Weltman was successful in finding an American Basketball Association (hereinafter ABA) franchise available for purchase. This franchise was acquired by a limited partnership, and was moved to St. Louis, Missouri, where it became the St. Louis Spirits Basketball Club (hereinafter Spirits) during the 1974-75 and 1975-76 ABA seasons. The limited partnership was evidenced by the partnership agreement which named the following partners: Pak Fabrics, Inc., general partner; and Schu-pak, Weltman, Eric Rosenfeld, Ozzie Silna and Daniel Silna, limited partners. An amendment to the partnership agreement was filed on April 15, 1975 which named the following partners: Pak Fabrics, Inc., general partner; Franklin Sands, Max Grossman, Valerie Simpson, Nate Goodwin, Seymour Morris, Donald Calaman, Twin Oaks Associates, Richard Larner and Bruce Grassfield as Class I Limited Partners; and Ozzie Silna, Daniel Silna, Donald Schupak, Stanley Fleischer and Barry Flo-rescue as Class II Limited Partners. Welt-man was not named as a limited partner by the amendment. He did, however, sign the amendment in the capacity as President of Pak Fabrics, Inc., the general partner, and as attorney-in-fact for the limited partners.

Weltman claims that the amendment was an invalid attempt to nullify his partnership interest in the profits generated by the Spirits. He claims that defendants have wrongfully withheld a percentage of the profits which are due him under the original partnership agreement. Defendants counter that the amendment effectively caused the termination of Weltman’s partnership interest, and that under the terms of the amendment, Weltman is not entitled to any of the profits generated. The issue, therefore, centers directly on the validity of the amendment.

[479]*479FINDINGS OF FACT

1) This is a suit between parties of diverse citizenship with the amount in controversy exceeding ten thousand dollars.1 The Court has jurisdiction over the complaint.

2) Weltman at the time this action was commenced was a citizen of the State of Ohio.

3) Ozzie Silna at the time this action was commenced was a citizen of the State of New Jersey.

4) Daniel Silna at the time this action was commenced was a citizen of the State of New Jersey.

5) Schupak at the time this action was commenced was a citizen of the State of Nevada.

6) Pak Fabrics, Inc. is a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of New Jersey. It is an inactive corporation with no principal place of business.

7) The Spirits is a Delaware limited partnership.

8) Venue is proper in the Eastern Division of the Eastern Judicial District of Missouri.

9) On October 14, 1974, Pak Fabrics, Inc., Weltman, Schupak and the Silnas entered into a limited partnership agreement wherein Pak Fabrics was named as general partner, and Weltman, Schupak and the Silnas were named as limited partners. The subject of this agreement was the ownership of the Spirits.

10) Weltman purportedly contributed $500.00 for his interest in the limited partnership, yet was unable to establish when, where or how such contribution was completed or whether such contribution was actually made.

11) Weltman was named as President and General Manager of the Spirits.

12) On April 15, 1975, an Amendment to the partnership agreement was filed with the Secretary of State for the State of Delaware. Weltman was not named as a limited partner in the amendment. Welt-man, however, signed the amendment as President of Pak Fabrics, Inc., the general partner, and as attorney-in-fact on behalf of Pak Fabrics, Inc. for all of the limited partners, then existing.

13) The limited partners named in the amendment each signed a power-of-attorney, giving Schupak the power-of-attorney in matters connected with the Spirits’ partnership interests.

14) After the Spirits’ second season in St. Louis, the ABA went out of existence. The Spirits assigned and/or sold their player contracts to teams participating in the National Basketball Association (hereinafter NBA). A portion of the NBA’s national television revenue is payable in perpetuity to the Spirits, pursuant to a settlement arranged by the Spirits and other owners of former ABA teams.

15) Weltman had demanded of defendants a share of the television payments paid or to be paid to the partnership pursuant to the settlement, or an accounting of such payments, but defendants have refused payment or accounting.

16) The cause was tried before the court in March 21, 1988.

17) On September 21, 1988, the Court entered its opinion finding that under the Delaware Limited Partnership Act, as amended in 1986, Weltman withdrew from the partnership and judgment was entered in favor of defendants.

18) Weltman subsequently appealed the decision and the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed and remanded the action to this court holding that the law applicable to the cause of action was the Delaware Limited Partnership Act as it existed prior to the 1986 amendment. 879 F.2d 425.

19) On January 2,1990, the parties stipulated that the cause of action was to be submitted to the court upon the prior trial record with no additional evidence presented.

[480]*480CONCLUSIONS OF LAW

The partnership agreement is governed by the law of the State of Delaware. The issue in dispute concerns the validity of an amendment to the partnership agreement. The applicable state law is found in Del.Code title 6, §§ 1701 et seq.2 Weltman claims that the amendment is invalid because he did not sign it in his capacity as a limited partner as required under Delaware law. Weltman further argues that the amendment is ineffective as an assignment of his interest because he did not sign it in the capacity of an assignor. Defendants argue that the amendment is valid because Weltman signed it in the capacity of a general partner and as an attorney-in-fact for the new limited partners. Defendants further argue that plaintiff’s signature as an assignor was unnecessary because the amendment did not purport to assign his interest. Based on the live and deposition testimony and the exhibits produced by all the parties, the Court finds that the amendment purported to effectuate the withdrawal of Weltman as a limited partner and the admission of additional limited partners to the existing partnership. The following statutory provisions are pertinent to the issue concerning the validity of the amendment:

§ 1702. Formation.

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739 F. Supp. 477, 1990 WL 78121, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/weltman-v-silna-moed-1990.